For the Love of Them
by Fullmetal Ai
Summary: A Collection of OneShots and Drabbles For Your EdxWinry needs. These have been posted on LiveJournal by me as well. n.n
1. Melted

_**Melted**_

_**By Rika (AKA Taco)**_

I have always left her. She had always been there, but I always ended up leaving. And realizing it, coming to terms with that fact alone, was enough to shatter even my heart - a heart made of metal. I always felt that I had problems with leaving Winry behind. There was it's advantages, a few less blows to the head, for instance. But there was also those disadvantages .. feeling alone to a point where not even Al could ease my lonliness. She felt lonely too. I could feel it. She was always so happy to see us when we came back, so relieved that we were alive, though we were not always well. She may have thrown the wrench one too many times at me, and at Al sometimes, but she did it out of concern for us .. concern .. and _love._

I never realized it back then, but Al and I always had a home to come back to, and a family waiting for us when we got there. It was small, only consisting of two girls - excuse me, _women_, but they were a family nonetheless, and though I hesitated to ever admit it, I loved them as if they were my own flesh and blood. Al felt the same way.

We've known Winry since we were kids. We grew up together, played games together, ate ice cream on hot summer days together, and Al and myself even went so far as to argue over who would be the one to _marry _her. She obviously always thought it was all a joke at the time, and it was, even though I seemed to think it was a very real argument. Al was just being a competitive little brother. It was all just pretend; we were just playing. Though I knew that was the case, however, I always felt that it might have a chance of happening someday, that I could be the one to marry this girl that we had known since forever.

After a while, I only thought of Winry as 'my mechanic.' That title suddenly fell upon her when Al and I attempted to bring our dead mother back to life using alchemy. In the process, I lost an arm and a leg, and Al lost his whole body. I had no time to think about childhood after that. I had to grow up, and I had to do it quickly. I had to focus on getting Al's body back. And so, I applied for the military - I was going to become a State Alchemist, and there was no changing my mind about it. I didn't have time to think about any old thing anymore; I had to focus on the present, to make sure that the future would be there for me.

But that feeling .. the feeling like I had let not only Al down, but Winry too .. it always came back. It came back whenever I saw her crying. When she was happy, I was happy. When she was sad, I felt horrible. That horrible feeling was even worse when she was crying because of me .. and that happened to be nine-tenths of the time. I always tended to hate myself for a long while after she cried .. I never wanted her to cry, ever. But somehow, I always end up leaving .. I always end up making her cry .. making her worry .. making her hope that we're all right .. letting her down .. and making her tear a little more, each time. I don't want to do it, but I have to. She knows it, too. If I didn't have to return Al's soul to his body, if I didn't have a goal that was as vital as this .. she would never let me go back to headquarters every time I have to. And to be brutally honest .. I would never go back either.

I don't want her to hurt .. I don't want her to cry .. I don't want her to be kept waiting for us. _I don't want her to be lonely._ But it can't be helped. Not right now, anyway. And I have admitted to myself that I love her, and I always have. I can't tell her yet, though. I can't tell her, and have her _die_ if something happens to me that can't be reversed. I love her too much to see her mourn over me like that.

Heh. I'm not even sure how _she_ feels about me, and already i'm talking like we're a couple. That's another factor I must add into this. She might not feel the same way. I know she's worried about Al and I constantly, but is it just family love? Sibling love, perhaps? I don't know. And that's another reason why I can't tell her. _I'm afraid._ I hate to admit that, even to myself, but I am afraid.

Telling her will have to wait. I will tell her one day .. but that's not something I can see sometime in the near future. Not yet .. but later. I can't do it right now.

I can't let my hard exterior, my metal heart .. I can't let it all melt away, and become nothing.

I have to be tough. I have to be strong.

I can not melt now.


	2. Say it Again

_**Say it again**_

_**By Rika (AKA Taco)**_

"I .. I Love You."

" ... W-What?" This was _not_ something that Winry Rockbell had expected to hear from the red-faced, five-foot-two, sixteen year-old State Alchemist that she had known since her infancy. Edward Elric averted his gaze to the ground, barely managing to stutter out the next line in his confession.

"Y-You heard me .. " He said awkwardly. Winry took a minute to regain her composure, before smirking to herself.

"Say it again," She demanded, rather than requested of him. She noticed his blush become redder, as he looked up at her for a moment more, before his eyes fell to the floor again. "That's an order," She finished.

"iloveyouwinry," He muttered, still looking at the floor.

"You love the floor?" His eyes shot upwards to meet hers, an almost amused frown playing at his lips.

"No, I love you, Winry .." He whispered.

"Louder."

"I LOVE YOU, WINRY ROCKBELL! I ALWAYS HAVE, AND ALWAYS WILL!" He yelled, loud enough for the entire house to hear, though he was lucky that nobody was home except for the two of them. Winry smiled joyously and lunged herself at Edward in an attempt to embrace him before he had the chance to think. Edward caught her as she came into his arms, and held her until she whispered the same words he had earlier.

"I .. Love you too, Ed." Edward smirked, and pulled her off of him, hands on her shoulders, arm's length apart.

"Say it again." Winry frowned.

"That's an order," Edward finished. Winry blushed, just as he did, then reached for her wrench, to find it gone. Edward whistled to get her attention, and she saw that he had her trusty wrench. _Smart little bugger .. _She thought with a frown, and sighed.

"Well? I'm waiting .." Edward said with a cocky tone. Winry looked torwards the ground.

"...iloveyou ..." She said softly.

"So you're saying you don't love me, but the floor?" Winry growled, and looked him in the eye.

"I love you Edw-"

"LOUDER!" Edward shouted, smirking the whole time at pulling the same actions on her.

"EDWARD ELRIC, YOU ARE SUCH A PAIN IN THE ASS!" Winry shouted, then regained her smirk. Edward waved the wrench around again, which caused Winry to sigh.

"BUT I LOVE YOU ANYWAY! I LOVE YOU, EDWARD ELRIC!" Edward laughed, thinking this was a riot, and gave the wrench back to his beloved mechanic-freak.

In Winry's thanks, Edward received a bump on the head, and their love returned to normal.


	3. Worthwhile

"EDWARD ELRIC!" Winry Rockbell's breathing became that of a person trying to control her anger, as she stared upon the boy she had known for so long.

"What?" Edward asked boredly, as if it were a normal event that happened every day of his life; this had succeeded in making Winry even more angered.

"AGAIN! How many time do I have to tell you to TAKE CARE OF YOUR AUTOMAIL!" She screamed furiously, bringing the wrench in her hand down to meet his skull, hard enough so that he was more than likely to have a large lump on his head for quite some time after that. Edward howled in pain, and she seemed pleased.

"WHAT THE HELL, WINRY!"

"YOU DESERVED IT!"

"DID NOT!"

"DID TOO! NOW SIT DOWN SO I CAN FIX YOUR ARM!"

"WHY!"

"BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOU CAME HERE FOR! IT'S NEVER TO VISIT, ALWAYS BECAUSE OF YOUR AUTOMAIL!" Edward opened his mouth to say something else, but shut it quickly and sat down obediantly. Winry still looked a bit hurt; this made him feel bad as well.

_He's so frustrating. Everytime he comes back home to us, he never has the time for visiting - it's always because of his arm. I don't mind working on it, don't get me wrong, but for once .. for once, I wish he would come home without his automail busted up for some reason or another. I wish he would come home just to be with us, even though I knew he would have to leave the next day. Granny, Den and I are always worried about him and Al, but he dosen't notice. He's so stupid, honestly. _

Later that night, Winry wandered into the living room, finding Edward sprawled out on the couch, the blanket discarded on the floor beside him, leaving his body uncovered, and his stomach exposed to anyone who dared to look. Winry was originally downstairs to find something to drink, but any thoughts of that vanished as she saw him twitching from the slight tingling of his automail arm, which was put back into its socket only an hour ago. She tiptoed quietly over to her childhood friend and silently gathered the blanket from the floor into her arms, draping it over him. Still, however, she was unable to walk away, seeing him like this. Ed may have been sleeping peacefully to the untrained eye, but she could still see the tiny twitches of pain he showed in his face. Winry sat down on the side of the couch, watching him, making sure that it wasn't any more pain than usual. Without thinking, her hand reached out and brushed the wisps of blonde bangs away from his face gently. He stirred for a moment, then went back to sleep.

"I'm sorry, Ed .." Winry whispered quietly, before standing with the intentions of going back to her room. She couldn't do that, however; a warm hand had grabbed her arm loosely, causing her to turn around and stare into the golden eyes of her best friend. She smiled and sat back down, watching as Edward let go of her arm and fell asleep again, almost instantly.

She stayed by his side all night, eventually falling asleep herself.

_He is frustrating, that's for sure. But if he wasn't, he wouldn't be the Edward that I know and love; just like Alphonse wouldn't be the same if he wasn't a gentle soul. He may never come just to visit, and he may break his automail more times than I can count ... _

_But it's times like these that make every little frustration from Edward all the more worthwhile. _


	4. Yo Yo

_Dedicated to my ex-boss, Mrs. Kathleen - I hope you're all right, wherever you are._

* * *

"Damn it, she hits hard .." Edward Elric groaned as his left hand rubbed the newly accuired lump on his head. Beside him, Alphonse Elric, the younger of the brothers laughed a bit at the elder's words.

"Well, what were you expecting, Brother? We've known her since we were young .." Edward scowled.

"You'd think she could ease up on the skull-bashing a bit .."

"Now, Brother .. if she didn't clonk you on the head everytime you came home with your arm busted, she wouldn't be Winry," Alphonse stated, a sly tone eminent even from the hollowness of the suit of armor. Edward frowned. He knew that was true, but he got the feeling that his dear younger brother was implying something completely different.

"Yeah. But it would be a nice change if she didn't." Edward sighed and stood. "Might as well go face the Queen of the Wrenches .." Alphonse nodded.

"I'll wait out here," He stated simply, happily stroking the kitten that was on his large, armored lap. Edward gave a look of irritation at the kitten, then shook his head and turned, walking into the house to find the blonde mechanic who was just screaming at him an hour ago.

He stepped into the kitchen, seeing Pinako already working on the night's dinner. Edward opened his mouth to ask, but Pinako spoke before he had the chance to even try.

"She's in the workshop," Pinako answered simply, which made Edward close his mouth and nod.

"Thanks, Auntie." He continued upstairs until he came to the door of the workshop, raising his fist to the door and knocking loudly.

"It's open!" the voice of the teenage girl known as Winry Rockbell called out. Edward opened the door and peered inside.

"Winry?" Suddenly, Edward toppled over with the added weight of his best friend.

"Edward! I'm glad you're here!" Winry exclaimed, hugging Edward tightly, "I just finished with a new design, you should see it! It's going to be beautiful!" She said, her eyes shining with excitement. Edward chuckled and sat up, bringing the blonde girl with him.

"How is it that one minute you're screaming obcenities at me, then the next, you're jumping on me and squealing excitedly?" Winry stood and held out a hand to help him up.

"I guess i'm just that way. You should know that, though," She said with a grin as she walked over to her workbench and started chatting excitedly about her plans for this new automail arm. Edward stayed where he was for a moment, watching her, wondering how the hell she could change moods so quickly.

"It's almost like a yo-yo .." He said quietly to himself. "One minute, she's angry, the next, she's the sweetest being on the planet .."

"HEY! Alchemy freak! Are you coming over here or not?" Winry called to Edward with a grin. Edward chuckled and began coming over.

"Okay, Okay, don't go crazy on me, Skull-basher .." Winry glared at him.

"I can do it again, if you like it that much .." Edward gulped and shook his head quickly, then sighed in relief as she went back to chatting wildly about her newest features.

_Yup, definately a yo-yo,_ He thought to himself with a smile, _But I wouldn't have her any other way._


	5. Losing Focus

_**Losing Focus  
**__**By: Fullmetal Ai**_

* * *

"Sis, what's wrong?" The voice of a young boy asked curiously, his eyes blinking with curiosity as he watched the girl he called 'sis' suddenly break out of her trancelike state at the sound of his voice. The blonde girl put on a smile and looked down to the boy.

"I'm fine, Tetsuo .. don't worry about me, I was just thinking!" The girl laughed a bit, smiling and trying to reassure the young boy that was so much like a brother to her.

"Winry, Sis, you've been like this ever since you came back from Central .." Tetsuo said, a saddened tone suddenly coming to his voice. "I'm just worried. We all are." Winry looked back down to her incomplete work with a small sigh. This was so unlike her .. ever since she had come back from visiting her childhood friends, Edward and Alphonse Elric, in Central, she had been drifting off, thinking of the two, and .. of _Edward_. She knew that she was in love with him. She knew what she was feeling. She knew that she wanted to cry ..

_No_, she thought. _I can't cry. Otherwise, Edward's promise .._ She sighed again, remembering what he had said to her back at the train station before her train left.

_"NEXT TIME I MAKE YOU CRY, YOU'LL BE CRYING TEARS OF JOY!" Edward Elric shouted, apparently not caring if anyone other than the two of them heard him. "AL AND I WILL GET OUR BODIES BACK, AND YOU'LL WEEP TEARS OF HAPPINESS!" Winry was taken aback for a moment. Of all the things Edward had said to her, she had never expected him to say something like this .. she couldn't help but smile. _

_It was almost at the same time that the train started moving. She looked out the window once more at the two she had grown up with since infancy, seeing their backs turned to her, having already said their goodbyes. _

Ahh .. his back .._ She thought. She thought about Edward, all of the promises he had made, and kept .. how determined he was to become a State Alchemist, to return Al's body to normal, as well as his own, if possible .. suddenly, it hit her like a ton of bricks. _

Ahh .. I see, _She thought, sadly leaning against the window. _I .. might have fallen for him a long time ago.

_She missed him already._

Since her return to Rush Valley, she had gotten to work, completed all of the orders that she was supposed to ... but everyone could notice a change in her; she had even noticed it herself, though she had tried hard to keep them from knowing the truth.

"Tetsuo is right, Winry," Garfiel said as he strode into the room, taking a seat at the chair across from Winry. "You keep losing focus on the task at hand. What's so important?" Winry looked to her incomplete automail project once more, unable to say anything. She didn't know what to tell them ..

"Are you sick, sis?" Tetsuo asked.

"Are you hurt?" Garfiel guessed.

"Are you lonely?"

"Do you have a sudden case of nostalgia?"

"Are you in love?"

Azure eyes widened, and Winry looked to Tetsuo, the boy blinking in her direction rather confusedly. She suddenly stood, rushing to her room; a sign that she wanted to be alone. Tetsuo looked to Garfiel.

"Did I say something wrong?" He asked, and Garfiel sighed.

"No. You guessed right."

* * *

**01.06.2006**


	6. Not Yet

**Not Yet  
****By: Fullmetal Ai**

* * *

_Edward seems to be so happy these days,_ Winry noted with a smile as she watched the sleeping form of the golden-haired alchemist beside her. She couldn't help but feel the same way; after all, they were married now. Every day since the wedding had been like a dream. They always woke up next to each other, just as they had wanted to do since the two realized their love for one another. Pinako couldn't scold them for getting intimate anymore, because they were permitted to be this way. It was freedom .. and yet, quite the opposite.

In any case, the two were _more_ than happy.

Edward let out a tiny groan as his eyes fluttered open, occulars of gold staring straight into stunning blue. He smiled.

"Morning, beautiful .." He whispered, holding her closer to him. She leaned into him, resting her head on his chest as her smile got wider.

"Morning," She responded. "I didn't wake you, did I?"

"No, No," Edward whispered soothingly, gently running the fingers of his right hand through her hair. "I'm used to waking up this early." Winry knew this, however, she always felt that she needed to ask.

"All right, then," Winry said with a giggle, slowly sitting up. She stopped when she felt Ed grab her arm, preventing her from going any further.

"Where are _you_ going?" Edward said, his lips forming into a grin.

"To start breakfast," Winry replied simply, and continued trying to sit up, but to no avail; Ed's hold on her arm was much too strong. She yelped in surprise as he gently pulled her back down onto the bed, wrapping his arms around her waist as she lay down next to him once more.

"Ed ..?"

"Not yet, Winry .. stay here a little longer .." Edward whispered into her hair, kissing her head softly. Winry couldn't help but smile.

"All right, you win."

They stayed in bed for most of the morning, the only sounds being that of the birds chirping outside, and soft whispers of "I love you," from either one of the newlyweds.


	7. Wildflowers

"Here."

Edward Elric, age 8, pushed a tiny bouquet of wildflowers into the arms of his unsuspecting best friend, Winry Rockbell, his face flushing slightly as he saw the look of surprise onher face, glittering in the deep blue eyes of the girl.

"Happy Valentine's Day," He murmured once more; If he were to speak anything louder, he was sure he would sound incredibly stupid. Winry looked to the flowers, to him, to the flowers again, then back to him, before an enormous smile spread across her face and she dropped the bouquet, wrapping her arms around him in a small embrace.

"Thank you, Ed!" She cried, oblivious to the ever-growing blush on the older Elric's face. She became a tad surprised when she felt him push her away.

"What was that for, Winry?" Edward asked, his hands brushing off the imaginary disease that seemed to be on his torso. "Now I've got Cooties!" Winry puffed her cheeks in annoyance, bending over slightly and putting her hands on her hips.

"Well, excuse me! I was only trying to thank you for the flowers. It's not every day that a nice, pretty young girl like me gets flowers from a boy like you!" Winry huffed, straightening herself and crossing her arms over her chest, turning her head to the side in a pout. Edward sputtered out his next line, the blush on his face subsiding a bit.

"What do you mean by THAT! A boy like me?"

"Yes. A Shrimp."

Edward twitched.

Edward twitched again.

And then, all hell broke loose.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A TINY LITTLE BUG THAT CAN'T BE SEEN UPON A BLADE OF GRASS SO SMALL THAT HE IS UNABLE TO BE SQUISHED BY EVEN THE BIGGEST OF PEOPLE?"

"That didn't even make sense, Ed!" Winry put her hands on her hips again. "And I called you a shrimp, not a bug!"

"THAT DOSEN'T MATTER, WINRY!" Edward yelled, his breathing becoming ragged. "See if I bring _you_ flowers again!"

"FINE!"

"FINE!"

With those cries, the two stomped off their seperate ways, only to forget what happened the next day and return to normal. Another year passed, and come next Valentine's day ..

"Here." Winry blushed as an even bigger bouquet of flowers was pushed into her arms by a blushing Elric. She blushed as well, a smile crossing her face.

Things never seemed to change.

* * *

_**End**_

* * *

**A/N:** I've been wanting to write an EdxWin Valentine's Fic, and the contest in the EdxWinry Lovers Guild on Gaia only provided me with the perfect oppertunity. :D I used to own the guild, but I've recently turned over the ownership to two much more capable people, and so far, I believe they're doing a wonderful job. n.n Thanks for the excuse to get off my lazy ass and write a Valentine's EdxWin fic! xD 


	8. Children

It was one of those questions that literally made him afraid of her.

"W-WHAT?" Edward nearly shouted, his face screwed up in question at the girl he has known since childhood, and found himself in love with.

"Do you want children when you get older?" Winry asked, an innocent smile on her face, blue eyes glittering with curiosity, and, dare he admit, humor. Edward leaned back, his back making a soft sound as it collided with the grass below him. He scowled, thinking of the question, and contemplating his answer even further.

"Well ... yeah, of course. Who wouldn't?" He finally answered, starting slowly, as if to make sure he was explaining his position the correct way. Winry closed her eyes, the smile still on her face, and giggled at the answer.

"I was really beginning to worry about you. I mean, not that I don't worry all the time, but-"

"What, you thought that I wouldn't want _children_?"

"Well, yeah .. I thought all this time that you would be afraid of having children .. you know, apparently, the prospect of becoming a father is a little scary for men. For women, too, but not so much as the men." Edward blushed, dreaming of a future yet to come .. marrying Winry, their first child .. their family .. hell, even Alphonse would be married not long afterward, and his children would be partners in crime of theirs. The thought made him smile. Sure, it was a bit soon to think about, but it was nice.

"Edward?" Winry's voice suddenly chirped, and Edward opened his eyes to find her face just mere inches away from his.

"Mmph?" He answered, a dreamy grin crossing his lips as his golden eyes met hers. Winry grinned.

"Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey .. c'mon, Edward .." She giggled, bringing Edward a little more out of his daydream. Edward glared slightly at the mechanic.

"I'm having a nice, rare dream. Don't ruin it," He stated bluntly, growing ever more agitated as she giggled.

"Spacing out? That's so unlike you."

"Maybe I'm doing it just to prove I can."

"Maybe so."

"What? Something wrong with it?"

"I'm just worried," Winry said, a smile crossing her face as she lay back down onto the grass beside him.

"You're always worried," Edward replied softly, a frown taking form across his lips. He lifted his right hand, admiring the slightly tanned skin for a moment before turning his head toward Winry with a small smile, lifting himself slightly off the ground and placing his face just inches from hers.

"So .. how about those children?" He said jokingly, pressing his lips gently against hers and pulling back quickly, the goofy grin on his face that signified his role as Edward Elric. Winry stared at him for a moment, her mouth agape in slight shock before she squeaked happily, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her lips to his gently before she pulled away and rested her forehead on his with a smile.

"We'd better say 'I do' quickly, then," Winry said, a hint of laughter in her voice. "Grandma won't accept it any other way."

"Then we'd better go into town later," He said with the same grin as before. Winry blinked.

" ... You're serious?"

"Well, yeah. We've been together for .. what, six, seven months now?" Winry squeaked happily once more and hugged Edward tightly, receiving a tight embrace in return.

Watching them from afar was a younger boy with slightly darker hair and a soft smile on his face. Beside the boy was a brunette girl who smiled the same way. The two looked to each other and laughed lightly.

"It's about time, huh?" The boy, known to most as Alphonse Elric, said to the girl, who nodded in reply.

"I had a feeling that Edward was going to ask her soon .." The girl replied cheerfully.

"I'll .. hopefully be doing the same sometime in the future, Rebecka," Alphonse said, a slight blush covering his cheeks. Rebecka smiled, the same flush crossing her face.

"That would be nice," Rebecka replied gently, her smile widening a tiny bit. The two laughed once more, returning their attention to the future newlyweds.

Things were going to turn out better after all, it seemed.

* * *

_End  
_**15 March 2006**

* * *

**Author's Nonesnse:** I wrote this one in a matter of ten minutes. xD Anyway! For those who have read **_Daughter_** by Cherry Studios (Which I co-authored .. since one half of Cherry Studios is me. And if you've seen the movie and haven't read Daughter, you really should. :D I co-authored it with my big sister, Nyago), you'll know who Rebecka is. :3 I inserted her in here because I think she made a nice little addition to the drabble, and besides, we can't have Alphonse being the only one alone now, can we? Now, to answer some questions.

1) Yes. This is set in Amestris.

2) Yes. Edward got his limbs back.

3) Rebecka is not the same as in **_Daughter_**. As there is Rebecka in Germany, this is the Alter!Rebecka in Amestris. Understood? Good.

Those pointed out, I hope you enjoyed! I'll hopefully have some more coming up soon. n.n; OH! News for those who enjoy my Chrno Crusade fanfiction, **_Amenable_** ... It seems bad fortune has smiled down upon me as of late. I had a little more than half of chapter six typed up on my laptop, but then my laptop crashed. We are currently awaiting a new hard drive for poor Ascot (Ascot is my laptop's name). Poor, Poor Ascot.

... Oh-kay! I think I've used a little too much time on the Author's note, so I take my leave as of now! Toodles!

_**-Ai**_


	9. Seven AM Routine

**Title:** Seven AM Routine  
**Author:** Fullmetal Ai  
**Word:** Tabletop

* * *

The sunlight filtering through the blinds that covered his windows was what woke Edward Elric up at seven o'clock at the morning. He tossed, turned, and tossed some more, trying to find a comfortable position in which to go back to sleep. Finally, he stood from the bed with a sigh, his quest to lull himself back to sleep an utter failure. Clad in only his boxers, Edward stepped out of his room, left leg making clanking sounds as he walked. He stretched his arms above him, making a satisfied noise as he felt the muscles in his left arm extend and rest. He yawned as his legs took him to the kitchen.

"Good Morning, Starshine. The world says hello!" A cheerful voice chirped from the kitchen. Edward looked up and grinned.

"Yeah, morning to you too." Edward sat down at the table, propping his head up on his right hand, his automail hand. "How long've you been awake?"

"A few minutes," she said, turning to him with a grin. "You just woke up too, huh?"

"Yup."

"Breakfast?"

"The usual."

"All right." With that, she turned her cerulean eyes to face the stove, taking out a pan and setting it on a burner, then rushing over to the fridge to take out some nessecary condiments. Edward stared at the girl he had grown up with, a smile making it's way across his face. At the moment, she seemed so happy just to be making breakfast for the two of them; Edward wouldn't have it any other way.

"God, you're beautiful .." he said, almost without thinking. She turned, staring right at him. A small amount of long, pale hair made its way across her face.

"Huh?" A light flush had made its way across her cheeks. Edward chuckled, standing up and walking over toward her, cupping her face with his right hand and making her gasp slightly from the feel of cold metal on her flushed face.

"You heard me, Winry," Edward whispered, grinning cockily and tucking the strewn wisp of her hair safely behind her ear. Winry grinned and removed his hand gently.

"Shut up and let me cook, Edward." Edward pretended to look hurt.

"How cruel."

"Is this going to become a routine?"

"I believe it already has."

"Fine then. I'll play along," She said with a smirk. Wrapping her arms gently around his neck, she breathed in his scent and smiled, a dreamy look in her eyes.

"Beautiful? Edward, you think quite highly of me." Edward smirked, leaning in and kissing her quickly before lifting her up and placing her on the tabletop, slowly managing to climb gently on top of her.

"You're right. I should think higher. You're gorgeous." Winry reddened. How he managed to do this to her every morning, she would never know. Edward lowered his face to hers, breathing gently against her neck. Winry shivered. She didn't know if she could ever get used to this ..

"Winry .."

"Shut up and kiss me." And he did. Had Winry been thinking coherently, she would have thanked whatever higher being there was for the mere fact that the stove hadn't been turned on yet.


	10. Playing House

**Title:** Playing House  
**Author: **Fullmetal Ai

* * *

Of all things that Edward Elric had said to Winry Rockbell, she did NOT expect him to say the one thing he said while they were in the kitchen making dinner together.

"Hey, Win .." He said, hesitantly, making Winry look up from the task she was so focused on; Peeling potatoes.

"Hmnh?" She responded, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Remember when we were younger, and you would always make Al and I play house with you?" Edward said, a sparkle in his eyes explaining to Winry that he was trying to hold in his laughter. Winry thought back to their childhood, smiling and laughing as he remembered the many times she would play house with the Elric brothers. She nodded.

"Yes, Of course. Al would always be the baby, since he was younger ... and I was always the mother, and .." She stopped for a moment, smiling at Edward awkwardly. "And you-"

"I would always be the father," Edward finished for her, chuckling. "Yeah, those were good times." The two fell into an awkward silence before Winry asked the question that had been on her mind since their reminiscence of childhood.

"Edward, why did you ask about playing house?" Edward looked to Winry and raised an eyebrow.

"Why?" Winry nodded. Edward flushed.

"Well .. uhh .." Edward brought a fist to his mouth and coughed a bit to clear his throat before continuing, "I was thinking .. you know .. maybe we could .." Winry grinned.

"We could ... play house?" Winry finished. Edward's flushed face nodded. Her lips curled up into even more of a grin.

"All right. It sounds fun, and we do need something to do while we're making dinner," She answered. Another awkward silence fell between then as they resumed their creation of dinner. Then suddenly, Winry gasped lightly as she felt Edward's arms snake around her waist from behind. Her cheeks reddened, and she restrained herself from smacking him in the head right where he stood.

"You know .." Edward whispered into her ear from behind, "This isn't half bad." Winry knew he was grinning that impossible, infuriating grin, and it really made her want to reach for her wrench.

"Well, _dear_," Winry said, a teasing tone in her voice, "Of course it isn't. You're the one who suggested it." Edward smiled sheepishly and made a bold move, pressing his lips gently against her cheek.

"Well .. I suppose I was just trying to find a way to express myself to you .." He whispered again. Winry froze.

"Express yourself?" She felt Ed's face heat up against hers.

"Well ... more like .. express .. how I feel," He said slowly. Winry sucked in a breath as he continued.

"I wanted to .. find some way to tell you .. to show you that I .." Edward grinned and turned her around gently in his arms, golden eyes staring into deep pools of blue.

"That I .. no matter how much I try to deny it .. I love you," He finished, then looked away, face flushed as he realized his words. Winry swore she could feel his heart pounding in his chest, she was so close to him. Taking in all that he had confessed to her, she slowly smiled, placing a hand on his cheek and directing his vision back to her face.

"I love you too," She whispered back, gently pressing her lips against his cheek. Edward scowled.

"I can do better than that," He said. Winry grinned.

"Prove it."

* * *

**A/N:** Figured I would stop it there. XD Meh. I feel like I've written them OOC ... x.x Ahh well. 


	11. Denial

Fate had not been kind to Edward Elric as of late. Over the course of the past three days, he had tripped over random objects that had seemingly placed themselves into his way, had multiple meetings with the Homunculus (none of which ended prettily), and to top it all off, his arm was busted again. Great. Just splendid. Winry was going to have a cow, that was for sure. Edward groaned at the mere thought of her wrench slamming down into his skull countless amounts of times, leaving him with more bruises than he could possibly handle at one time. Damn, that girl was abusive ..

Seated beside him, a huge suit of armor turned his head, A hollow echo of laughter ringing in Edward's ears. Directing his attention to the tin man beside him, Edward growled.

"What's so funny?" The suit of armor only laughed a bit more before answering in a child's voice; one that echoed and resonated througout his body, much like his laughter did.

"My, don't we seem happy to be going back home. I would think that you'd be just overjoyed to see Winry .." Edward let out an irritated puff of air, and the armor hid his giggle.

"Al, that woman is going to kill me, I just know it," Edward finally said after a moment of silence.

"No she's not. Winry wouldn't kill anyone, Brother."

"Yeah, well .. when you're standing over my grave, don't try to tell me 'You were right,' because I won't be able to hear it," Edward grumbled, lowering in his seat a bit more. If Alphonse could have smiled, he would have.

"Winry wouldn't kill you. Maybe give you a bump on the head, but that's the extent of it." Edward ran a hand through golden bangs, eyes of the same color closing while a sigh left his lips.

"I don't want her to see me like this," He admitted softly. Alphonse silenced.

"Was that a confession?" Edward choked.

"FAR FROM IT," He shouted, his face reddening. Alphonse laughed again at his brother's reaction.

"Brother, admit it. Everyone can see it, you can stop denying."

"D-DENYING WHAT!" Edward sputtered.

"Your love for Winry."

"Oh, you mean that nonexistant one?" Edward huffed, crossing his arms and looking the other way; however hard he tried to hide his face, though, Alphonse could still see the tiny tinges of pink that always appeared on his cheeks at any mention of the blonde mechanic.

"Yes, Brother. That completely nonexistant one." The tiny train car was void of their voices for several moments, the only sounds being the chugging of the train, as well as an occasional tooting of the horn.

"Well, I do love her .. in a best-friends sort of way .." If Alphonse could roll his eyes, he would have.

"Brother, quit telling that fib."

"It's not a fib!"

"You know you love her in the _other_ sense of the word, just admit it."

"I'LL ADMIT IT WHEN I WANT TO!"

"You just did."

"DAMNIT, AL!" Edward shouted, his face beyond flushed and a vein about to pop. Edward didn't even have to hear his younger brother's voice to know that he was smirking that 'I won' smirk.

"So, when are you going to admit it to _her_?"

"Shut up, Al."

"Maybe if you tell her you love her, she won't make you lose any brain cells this visit .." Alphonse said in a sing-song voice, obviously teasing his older brother. Edward took this into consideration for a moment; on one hand, Alphonse could probably be right. On the other hand, it wasn't the right way to go about the situation at all.

"I think I can handle the wrench to the head, thank you very much."

"So you do love her."

"Shut up."

The rest of the train ride was silent; The elder Elric fuming about the preceding conversation, while the younger enjoyed his victory.

* * *

**A/N:** Meh. Not one of my favorites. XD Wrote it off the top of my head when I was bored. Y'see? This is what anxiousness of waiting for Chapter 58 of Fullmetal Alchemist to be scanlated will do to you.


	12. Providing Light

**Title:** Providing Light  
**Author:** Fullmetal Ai  
**Word:** Lamp

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One dark, stormy night, the Elric brothers had suddenly appeared at the front step of the Rockbell home. They were quickly ushered in, and when asked what they were doing out in the rain, they had only laughed quite awkwardly. Well. That wasn't much of an answer. Winry put her hands on her hips, staring at the two boys who were soaked to the bone, casting a disbelieving glance at the two of them. It was suspicious. _Very_ suspicious.

Even though Winry felt the strongest urge to just flat out ask them what they were hiding, she restrained herself, shaking her head, telling the two to "Just go get changed into drier clothes." The two felt no reason to reject that offer, and they quickly raced up the stairs; Edward in the lead, his smaller form making it easier to travel the distance of the stairs, and Alphonse tagging behind, hurrying to retrive a towel to dry himself off before he started rusting.

It was, quite frankly, an unusual night. Winry had noticed. Pinako had payed no mind, however; there was business, automail orders to be finished.

Later that night, however, she found herself unable to sleep due to the noise that the thunder was making; she had always hated thunderstorms, and right now was no exception. Turning over in her bed, Winry stood, walking out the door quietly, then down the stairs.

When she found Edward sitting by the window, dimly lit by the glow of a small lantern, Winry began to worry.

"Edward?" She asked quietly, hoping not to startle him. He turned slowly to face her, a small smile crossing his face.

"Hey," He merely answered. She crossed the living room floor and sat next to him, the bottom of her nightgown pooling around her feet.

"What are you still doing up?" Winry asked curiously, cocking her head to the side much like an innocent puppy would. Edward only shrugged.

"Couldn't sleep. You couldn't either?" Winry nodded.

"Let me guess. The storm." Winry nodded again. He smiled.

"That's just like you .." He stated quietly. This was strange. Winry hadn't seen Edward act like this since ... well, too long ago to remember.

"The thunder scares me," She said, wrapping her arms around herself to try and stop the shakiness she suddenly felt. Edward only stared at her for a moment before scooting in closer to her and wrapping his own arms around her. Winry felt her face heat up.

"Colonel Dog-Breath said we needed a vacation," Edward suddenly said, "Al said we should take advantage of it. So, here we are." Winry smiled, leaning in closer to Edward.

"I'm glad you came home," Winry nearly whispered, closing her eyes and nearly giggling at the warm feeling on his neck; he was blushing, she knew. "It means a lot to me." Edward relaxed and held onto her tighter than before.

"Yeah. I think Al was right, this time .." Winry smirked.

"Isn't he always?" Edward made a face.

"Not always."

"Sure," She giggled, making him pout even more. They relaxed again after a while, and Winry sighed in contentment. The light began to dim, and Winry glanced up to Edward, silently questioning what he would do once the lamp ran out. Edward caught her eye and chuckled.

"The lantern only provides light for a short while," He whispered, leaning his head on her shoulder. "You, though .. you always provide me with light."

Winry wasn't sure what to make of his statement ... however, she didn't think she wanted to at the moment. She was just happy he was here.

* * *

**6.07.2006**


	13. I Don't Want That

**WARNING: Spoilers for the FMA movie, The Conquerer of Shambala, are contained in this ficlet. If you don't want to be spoiled/confused, pleaserefrain fromreading. Thank You!**

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Edward Elric awoke, his vision immediately enshrouded in darkness. He sat up in his sea of blankets, looking around, his gaze landing on the clock nearby. With the incredibly dimmed lighting he couldn't see the exact time, but it had to be well after two o'clock in the morning. He let out a sigh of frustration, falling back onto the bed and staring upward at the ceiling. For several nights now, he had awoke at various times during the night. There was a reason, though only his younger brother, who lay in the bed across the room from him, knew. A recurring dream. A vision of sparkling blue eyes and pale skin, blonde hair tied back into a ponytail cascading down her back. His regret for leaving his prior home; his childhood best friend, aside from his brother. It seemed to him that it was near impossible for her to escape her mind, no matter how hard he tried to forget what he had left back in Amestris.

"Brother?" a tired, childish voice arose from the bed across the room. Edward sighed, rolling over and facing the nearest window.

"Go back to bed, Al."

"Brother, are you all right?" Both brothers knew the answer to that. _No,_ he thought, _No, Al. I'm not all right. Neither of us are. _A sigh was released on the other side of the room, and a creaking sound was made as Alphonse Elric shifted in his bed, rolling over to his side to peer out of another window.

"You know, Brother ..." He suddenly started, "She tried hard not to show it, but I could hear her crying at night." Edward's expression became saddened on the other side of the room as he tried to concentrate more on the snow falling outside of the window. He remembered when he and Al would have snowball fights .. she was there as well. She was always there, no matter how hard he tried to push her away.

"I always came into her room when she was crying. I tried asking her what was wrong a few times, brother .. she never told me. She always said that she was fine, and that I should just .. go back to bed ..." Alphonse could hear his older brother chickle slightly from his bed.

"But then one night .. I heard her repeating your name over and over ..." Edward closed his eyes, trying to keep from remembering the tears she had cried for the two of them.

"That's when I figured out her reason for crying." Edward opened his eyes, staring blankly out the window once more, trying ever harder to focus on the falling snow. Oh, how pretty it was ..

"Brother .. Brother, why did we leave Amestris ..?" Edward closed his eyes, rolling back onto his back and opening them again to stare once more at the ceiling.

"You know why, Al. We had to protect everyone .. we had to make sure that the gate was never opened again, that nobody could be harmed .." There was an awkward pause.

"You weren't supposed to come with me, Al .. you were supposed to stay safe over on the other side." Another awkward pause.

"But I wanted to," Alphonse finally answered, "And I'm sure .. that if Winry were given the chance, she would have wanted to come along as well." Edward smiled sadly, though his younger brother couldn't see it.

"Well .. things .. things are better this way," He finally said, "Winry will stay with the people she knows and loves .. she'll start her own automail business, get married ... start a family .." Edward trailed off, finding that even imagining it was hard.

"She knew us, Brother." Edward sighed.

"Yeah Al. I know."

"She loved us."

"I know .."

"She loved _you_." Edward remained silent, trying to keep his composure. He had only realized just how strongly he had felt for her when he came back to Amestris about a year ago, to seal off the gate for good. She had loved him always, and he supposed that he had felt the same way for that long as well.

"Brother ..?" Alphonse asked again. Edward took a shuddering breath and replied.

"Yeah?"

"You don't want her to get married to someone else, do you?"

No matter how hard Edward searched through his brain for an answer, he couldn't come up with anything other than 'no.'

"It's too late now, Al. She's .. probably already moved on." The creaking sound from the bed across the room from him told him that his younger brother was standing up from his bed, and the creaking sound that the floorboards made suggested that he was moving out of the room. Before he exited completely, however, Al paused at the doorframe and looked back to his elder brother, a mixture of supressed anger and sympathy showing on his slightly-lit face.

"You don't want that, though." And with that, Alphonse walked into the other room. Edward sighed, rolling back over to the window, trying to supress the urge to release a cry of anguish out loud.

"He's right," He whispered to himself and sighed.

"I don't want that."


	14. I Wish

_I wish he would tell me something, anything ... _

She sat, tinkering with the automail limb of a valued customer, her mind half set on finishing the job and doing it right, while the other half worried itself with heavier things than the metal she worked with every day. She sighed, biting her lip and brushing stray wisps of pale blonde hair out of her eyes, willing herself to concentrate on the limb, but to no avail.

These days, her mind consistently wandered. It constantly drifted. Her thoughts were filled of visions of golden blonde hair, eyes of the same color, an attire of black and white ... the same cocky grin and flashes of silver she associated with him.

Winry Rockbell sighed, placing her screwdriver to the side and standing. It was time for another break.

_I wish she wouldn't worry. _

He gazed out the window, golden eyes dulled with the boredom hidden within him. Colonel shithead again. Gah. If he were going to call him to his office, he could at least be prepared to meet him when he arrived! This was bullshit, blashphemy, idiocy, every word in the book that described how unfair this was to him. He had better things to be doing, more people to be seeing, more information to be gathered ...

He had a little brother's body to restore and a waiting girl to see once again.

He sighed. She was always kept waiting, and he felt bad for what he felt he was doing to her ... He knew how many tears had been shed on her part. He knew how many times he and Al had deliberately kept her in the dark, and he hated himself more every time he saw her eyes well with the tears that she often tried not to show.

Edward Elric sighed, allowing his golden bangs to cover his closed eyes. He wanted to see her again, now more than ever.

_I wish he would come home. _

She now sat on her bed, hands balled into fists on her lap, eyes shut in retaliation to the tears that threatened to flow from her eyes once more. She refused. She wouldn't let his promise to her be in vain. Sighing (almost in relief) as the feeling of immense sadness passed, she reached up to the red jacket she had wrapped around her shoulders and pulled it tighter around her, burying her nose into the fabric.

His scent. It still remained, even after it had been washed, rid of the blood and debris that had once stained it. His scent was still there.

Winry Rockbell pulled the jacket closer to her body, relishing in the warmth it provided, though knowing it could never replace the warmth she had felt in his arms.

_I wish she wouldn't cry. _

Her tear-stained face flashes before his eyes, haunts his dreams.

His eyes opened with the flash of lightning that lit up the night sky. Rain poured outside of his window, and thunder accompanied the lightning that flashed more often than he wanted to see. He sat up with a groan, staring down toward the bed he occupied.

He didn't want her to cry. He promised her he would make her cry tears of joy the next time she cried on his behalf. He had promised ...

But Al was right. He had broken too many promises. How could he know that she wasn't crying right now?

Edward Elric lay back in his bed, staring up toward the ceiling until sleep befell him once more.

_I wish he didn't have to go through this. _

She fell into a restless slumber, tossing and turning with the inner turmoil she faced daily by waiting for him; she only awoke when her boss, worried, rushed in to check on her.

_I wish I could make her happy. _

He clutched his covers closer to his body, sweat dotting his brow as another nightmare plagued him; gone ... everybody was gone. The next thing he heard was the hollow sound of his younger brother's voice, pulling out of the dreadful fantasy his mind often created.

_I wish he were here!_

_I wish she were with me ..._

Both of them drifted back to sleep eventually ... but neither forgot the dreams that plagued them. They would return the next night, and the next ...

_I wish ... I wish we could live live normally. _

* * *

**10.22.2006  
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**AN:** Dedicated to my big sister, Nyago. :3 She's been there for me so much, and always so completely awesome. n.n I really am very grateful for her guidance and her kindness. I luff ya, big sis! n.n!


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